Two Brazils went to COP26. One of them called itself “Real Brazil”, in the country’s official pavilion at the UN climate conference, sponsored by the national confederations of industry (CNI) and agriculture and livestock (CNA).
It was the parallel stand, however, the Brazil Climate Hub, which launched studies for low-carbon development and for a green economic recovery, in addition to international partnerships with forecast investments in forest conservation.
For the first time, Brazil was divided into two pavilions, separated by two distance corridors, and without joint events between the federal government and organized civil society.
The term “real Brazil” was used recurrently in official events, such as the speeches by the Minister of the Environment, Joaquim Leite. These events did not allow for inquiries from the public, and a one-room press conference was restricted to up to ten people. The concern, according to the ministry’s press office, told journalists at the COP, was to avoid riots and demonstrations.
The minister’s full agenda was not disclosed by the press office and the ministry’s website only mentioned that he participated in COP26, without detailing the meetings.
Attempts at dialogue were few. Ambassador Paulino Franco, Brazil’s chief negotiator in the first stage of COP26, visited the stand maintained by the NGOs and held briefings with members of organized civil society, as well as the private sector, reporting on the progress of the negotiations.
On Saturday (6), senator Kátia Abreu (DEM-TO) was informed by journalists that the NGO stand would host the event of signing a memorandum of understanding between the governors of the Legal Amazon Consortium and the Coalizão Leaf, which promotes the offsetting greenhouse gas emissions from large companies, with support from the UK and Sweden.
The senator appeared at the event, spoke and took a photo with the signatories. However, the absence of the federal government in this type of international partnership raised concerns from specialists in carbon credits.
For Gabriel Lui, coordinator of the Climate and Society Institute’s land use portfolio and who has already been responsible for the forest economy agenda at the Ministry of the Environment, the federal government would have more strength to negotiate an international partnership, with criteria more advantageous to the country.
“States that already have good results in controlling deforestation may be at a disadvantage in the remuneration of carbon credits”, cites Lui. They do not have, he assesses, the same power as the national Executive to defend, in the face of a global initiative, the baseline for measuring results.
Together in the Governors for the Climate initiative, the Brazilian states maintained an international relations agenda called paradiplomacy. Talks were held with the US, the European Union, France, China and even with Prince Charles, heir to the British crown.
Meanwhile, in a discursive turn at COP26, Jair Bolsonaro’s government sought to convince the world that criticisms of the country’s environmental policy —which goes through deregulation and dismantling of organs— would not represent reality.
Minister Joaquim Leite avoided citing data on environmental control and even stated to the press, in a speech at the COP on Friday (12), that he did not follow the deforestation data — released by the government about eight hours before his speech.
Despite current data trends, the government bet on the country’s climatic advantages, such as the extensive vegetation cover of the territory, the abundance of water resources and the matrix of electricity mostly from renewable sources, which already enjoy international recognition.
At the beginning of the conference, the federal government announced the update of its emission reduction target — the cut went from 43% to 50% by 2030. The goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 was also assumed. The country also adhered to international commitments to reduce methane emissions and conserve forests.
The country’s new posture was praised by the British president of COP26, Alok Sharma, and also by the United States, but it was still received with fear and mistrust in the negotiations and also by economic actors, such as European investors.
“Smoke screens are being introduced instead of genuine measures,” said Kiran Aziz, director of ESG (environmental, social and governance criteria) investments at Norway’s largest pension fund, the KLP.
“As a global investor, we have to be honest and open: the head of the country is pushing back foreign investment through its path towards destruction of its forests,” she says. “Whatever the minister of the environment says, Bolsonaro is in charge,” he concludes.
The journalist traveled at the invitation of InstitutoClima e Sociedade.
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